The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist is a monastic community for both men and women, directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is located in Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England.

The community was founded in 1959 by Elder Sophrony (Sakharov), under the jurisdiction of His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony, Metropolitan of Sourozh and ruling Russian bishop in England, with six monastics from a number of nations; soon after, in 1965, the Monastery moved under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The community consists of men and women living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centered prayer life for the monastic members.

Contents

Daily Life

When founding the monastery, Elder Sophrony wanted to be sure that his community would not just have outward conformity, but have its focus on inner asceticism. The typikon of the monastery, consisting of repetition of the Jesus Prayer for approximately 4 hours per day and Divine Liturgy three or four times per week, found inspiration in Elder Sophrony's experience in the Athonite desert, and precedent in Athonite skete practise, St Nicodemus and St Paisios Velichkovsky.

Also, another distinctive part of this monastery is that it is a double monastery; that it, it has both monks and nuns. This is rare, but is not unheard of, in Orthodox monasticism.

Timeline

1958: Elder Sophrony had six people living near him and seeking the monastic life. A property at Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England was inspected.

1959: Community of St John the Baptist formed at Tolleshunt Knights under Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh. Monastery has both monks and nuns, due to Elder Sophrony's inability to oversee two separate communities.

1965: Monastery of St John the Baptist moved under the Ecumenical Patriarchate's omophorion. Later, the Ecumenical Patriarchate would upgrade the Monastery to Stavropegic.

1973: Publication of a more complete translation of Monk of Mt Athos (the life of St Silouan).

1975: Publication of Wisdom of Mt Athos (the writings of St Silouan).

1977: His Life is Mine published.

1985: We Shall See Him As He Is published.

1987: Ecumenical Patriarchate glorifies St Silouan the Athonite.

1993 Jul 11: At Elder Sophrony's repose, there were 25 other monastics at his monastery.